Kurt Thielen, who co-founded Zebralution in 2004, is stepping down as CEO on the finish of the yr after virtually 20 years on the helm.
The German impartial digital distributor promoted Chief Working Officer Tina Jürgens as Co-CEO alongside label veteran Konrad von Löhneysen.
Jürgens, who has overseen day-to-day operations as COO since October 2022, will take over administration of Zebralution by January 2024. She joined the corporate in 2018 as Managing Director of Zebralution Podcast (previously zebra-audio.web).
“Kurt Thielen has very huge sneakers to fill, so I’m honored to have the belief of all shareholders and co-managers. Zebralution has developed over the previous years from a music-only distributor to one of many main all-audio firms,” Jürgens stated.
Jürgens added: “Zebralution is no longer solely at dwelling within the music, audiobooks and podcast industries, it additionally provides the mandatory technical infrastructure and the corresponding companies. I need to efficiently proceed on this path, with a concentrate on the additional technical improvement of our techniques and choices, in addition to the continued enlargement of the synergies between all enterprise areas.”
“Zebralution is no longer solely at dwelling within the music, audiobooks and podcast industries, it additionally provides the mandatory technical infrastructure and the corresponding companies.”
Tina Jürgens, Zebralution
Von Löhneysen, a shareholder and founding father of German impartial label Embassy of Music, will function Co-CEO alongside Jürgens.
It’s price noting that Löhneysen turned a shareholder in Zebralution in 2017 when he and a bunch of different impartial music trade executives consisting of Metropolis Slang founder Christof Ellinghaus, proprietor of label Embassy of Music, and authentic founders of Zebralution, Thielen and Sascha Lazimbat, acquired the corporate from Warner Music Central Europe.
That acquisition occurred roughly 10 years after Warner Music acquired Zebralution.
Then in December 2019, German efficiency rights group GEMA acquired a majority stake in Zebralution.
Von Löhneysen will likely be becoming a member of Zebralution in October, taking cost of the group’s music division, together with increasing its neighboring rights actions by Zebralution subsidiary Rightz Audio. He may also spearhead the group’s US operations.
He’s the founder and Managing Director of impartial label Embassy of Music, previously Ministry of Sound Germany GmbH, which Zebralution signed as one in all its earliest purchasers, the corporate stated.
Embassy of Music is about to resume its distribution partnership with Zebralution and lengthen its partnership with Ellinghaus’ Metropolis Slang.
“this new place is the logical continuation of my earlier work as a shareholder. My thanks go to Kurt for his profitable management of the corporate.”
Konrad von Löhneysen, Zebralution
Commenting on his appointment, von Löhneysen stated: “For me, this new place is the logical continuation of my earlier work as a shareholder. My thanks go to Kurt for his profitable management of the corporate. We’ll proceed to strengthen Zebralution’s affect on the music world.”
“We’re a Berlin-based firm – with no main or monetary traders. We perceive music and we take heed to what our companions and labels need, regardless of the challenges could also be. These are thrilling occasions to be within the Music Biz!”
In the meantime, Thielen will stay within the firm on a consultancy foundation, specializing in the group’s worldwide audiobook enterprise. Previous to establishing Zebralution, Thielen shaped Tough Commerce Germany/Zomba, a European impartial bodily distributor.
“I look again on 38 thrilling years as CEO of Zebralution and Tough Commerce/Zomba. I’m immensely pleased with what we’ve achieved with Zebralution as pioneers within the trade. I can’t consider a extra opportune second for this modification in duty,” stated Thielen.
“I want to thank the improbable Zebralution staff, my fellow shareholders and particularly Tina and Konrad. With these two, I do know the corporate is in the most effective arms. I’m positive they are going to lead Zebralution with as a lot ardour as I did.”
Sascha Lazimbat, who co-founded Zebralution, will transition from his function as Managing Director to Director and President of the corporate’s US arm this month.
Los Angeles-based Zebralution US Inc. launched initially of 2023. Lazimbat will be a part of CEO Natalia Carlson in Zebralution US. He’ll head up advertising and marketing, gross sales and buyer assist companies for the entire group’s enterprise models within the US market.
“The Zebralution Group has at all times been pushed by new alternatives and challenges, and at the moment we see super development potential within the US. Zebralution is nicely positioned in Europe, now we need to carry our state-of-the-art applied sciences and merchandise to the US market. With Tina and Konrad as Co-CEOs of Zebralution Group, we’ve an actual dream staff on the helm. And the truth that we are actually demonstrating the variety of our firm at its highest stage is the cherry on high for me,” Lazimbat stated.
Almost a yr in the past, Zebralution teamed up with Deezer and 13 different trade companions for a European Union-funded mission to make lyric translation accessible in EU languages.
Music Enterprise Worldwide
